Bobbin and spindle for spinning, twisting, and similar machines



March 25, 1941.

J A. KENNEDY ,236,178

SPINNING, TWISTIHG,AND SIMILAR MACHINES BOBBIN AND SPINDLE FOR FiledOct. 15, 1958 l ATTORINEY,

Patented Mar. 25, 1941 UNITED STATES nonnm Am) SPINDLE FOR SPINNING.

TWISTING, AND SIMILAR MACHINES John A. Kennedy, Saco, Maine, assignor toSam- Ifioawlelll Shops, Boston, Mass, a corporation of ApplicationOctober 15, 1938, Serial No. 235,295

4 Claims. (Cl. 242-462) This invention relates to bobbins such as thoseused in spinning, twisting and other textile machines. It involves boththe construction of the bobbins themselves and also their mounting onthe spindles which support and drive them.

In recent years there has been a constant trend toward the use of largerpackages and higher speeds in spinning, twisting, and similaroperations. The increased package size is of advantage in permittinglonger production runs between shut-downs for dofling, while a higherpindle speed means, other conditions being equal, a greater productionper operating hour. This trend has progressed to a point where thepackage load and the rotative speed in many cases introduce diihcultieswhich offset some of the advantages gained, and one of these is thegreatly increased rateof wear of both the bobbins and spindles,particularly at the points where the two are in mutual contact.

It is the common practice so to mount bobbins upon their supportingspindles that the wall of the enlarged bore at the base of the bobbin ispressed down upon and maintains a driving fit in a circumferential lineof contact with the tapered portion of the spindle, commonly termed thev I understood from the following description when acorn. The spindleblade projects upwardly from this acorn and is much smaller in diameterso that there is no contact between the bobbin 'andany part of thespindle above the acorn up to a point near the tip or nose of the bobbinwhere its bore is reduced in size sufficiently to engage the spindleblade and thus center the bobbin. However, the common practice is tomaintain a clearance of a few thousandths of an inch between the bladeand the bore of the bobbin at this point. Such a construction 'isconsidered necessary to permit the bobbin to be seated with a drivingfit on the tapered acorn, since otherwise the blade, which often also istapered near its upper end, might first engage the bobbin and so preventthe production of effective driving contact between the bobbin base andthe acorn. In addition, some clearance between the bobbin tip and theblade is of advantage in producing better running conditions.

While such constructions have been successful heretofore, the use ofhigher speeds and larger and heavier yarn packages-coupled with the factthat such packages are never accurately balanced, has so increased thevibration and torque loading upon the spindle that the rate of wear ofthe parts has been greatly increased and has become an importantpractical factcr. Frequently a slippage occurs between the bobbin andthespindle, due to several causes, such as the in creased drag of thetraveller, or the vibration of the bobbin, with a resulting tendency ofthe bobbin to chatter or to creep upwardly along the taper of the acornand-thus reduce the frictional grip depended upon to drive'it. When suchslippage occurs, wear of the parts at the base of the bobbin progressesrapidly. Often, also, 'vibration of the bobbin whips the upper end ofthis member against the blade of the spindle, producing wear whichincreases very rapidly with an increase in the amplitude of relativeoscillation of the parts. This also tends to losen the drivingengagement of the bobbin with the acorn.

The present invention is especially concerned with the foregoingconsiderations. It aims to improve the construction of both the bobbins,and in some cases of their supporting spindles also, with a view ofminimizing those factors responsible for the high rate of wear and theunsatisfactory operating conditions, and to provide'an arrangement inwhich the driving association of the spindle andbobbin willbe madesubstantially more satisfactory and the useful life of these elementswill be correspondingly increased,

The nature of the, invention will be readily read in connection with theaccompanyingdrawing, and the novel features will be particularly pointedout in the appended claims.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a vertical, sectional view'of a bobbin embodying features ofthis invention and mounted on a spindle in the usual manner;

Figs. 2 and 3 are similar views illustrating different embodiments ofthe invention; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical, sectional view of the top portion of a bobbinshowing a further modiflcation.

Referring first to Fig. 1, a spindle of a common 40 type is there shownhicluding a blade 2, whirl 3, and an acorn Q. Mounted on this spindleisa bobbin 5 comprising a hollow or tubular body similar in general formto the usual bobbins.- It may be made of wood, in accordance with theusual custom, or of any other suitable material.

1 The bore of the bobbin in the base portion there- Thisbobbin departsradically from prior constructions in the shape and arrangement of thoseparts which cooperate with the upper portion of the spindle blade. Asshown, this part of the bobbin is equipped internally with a. resilientbushing 6 made of rubber, cork, or equivalent materials, rubber beingpreferred. It is held in place by abutting its upper edge against ashoulder 1, which may either be formed on the lower end of a sleeve orplug cemented into the top of the bobbin, or by making the upper end ofthe bobbin of a corresponding shape so as to produce a shoulder integraltherewith. The particular construction used will depend upon the methodof assembly which it is desired to follow. The lower end of the bushingabuts against a tapered -or frusto-conical metal washer 9 which ispushed into the bore of the bobbin and is held in place either by itsfrictional engagement with said bore or by resting on the upper shoulderof an annular portion Ill integral with the body of the bobbin.

The method of assembly at present preferred is to make the bobbin asillustrated in Fig. 1, to push the washer 9 into the bore from the topthereof, following this with the rubber bushing 6 and the sleeve 8, thelatter being cemented .in place.

- Such a bobbin can readily be slipped on and off the spindle, whetherthe latter is stationary or running. Preferably the bore of the bushingis made .very slightly larger, say one or twothousandths of an inch,than the outside diameter of the spindle, and, because of its resilientnature, it will have a high degree of durability against any peening orfrictional action of the spindle blade at its area of contact therewith.

In addition, it preferably exerts a slight yielding grip on the blade sothat it supplements the rotating drive chiefly produced by the fit ofthe tapered base on the acorn 4 because of the high co-efficient offriction common to resilient materials of this nature when acting uponmetallic surfaces. It also improves the running conditions of thebobbin, both because of its ability to absorb vibrations within its ownmass, and also for the reason that it affords the bobbin more latitudein finding its own center of rotation. A firmer driving contact also isproduced by the better fit of the bobbin base on the slow taper of theacorn 4, as above mentioned.

It will be observed that the tapered washer 9 serves not only as apositioning element for the bushing 6 but also aids in guiding the tipof the blade into the bore .of the bushing when placing the bobbin onthe spindle.

By slight modification; as shown in Fig. 2, the construction abovedescribed lends itself to an arrangement in which the bobbin may besupported and driven from its upper end. This embodiment of theinvention is like that shown in Fig. 1 except for the fact that the boreof the resilient bushing 6' is tapered to fit the tapered upper endportion of the spindle blade 2', and the acorn 4 of Fig. 1 is replacedwith a stepped construction having an annular shoulder l2 adapt-- ed toact as a stop for the lower end of the bobbin. That portion of the acornabove the shoulder is so reduced in diameter that a radial clearance ofin the neighborhood of ten to twentythousandths of an inch is providedbetween it and the bore of the bobbin, and the latter is madeapproximately cylindrical in form throughout the entire distance belowthe part III. If desired,

the shoulder l2 may be entirely'omitted. In anyv event, the bobbinshould not be seated upon it with sufficient pressure to prevent thebobbin from moving radially relatively to the spindle to any degreenecessary to enable it to find its own center of rotation.

This arrangement for suspending the bobbin from the rubber bushing 6'and driving the bobbin through the bushing is very useful in manysituations and has the advantage of minimizing wear of the mutuallycontacting surfaces of the spindle and bobbin and giving the bobbin abetter opportunity to centralize itself on the spindle.

Fig. 3 shows a construction in which a spindle like that illustrated inFig. 1 is-used, but the mounting of the bobbin on the spindle iseffected through the use of resilient means at both the top and bottomof the bobbin. In this construction the bobbin I4 is similar to thatshown in Fig. 1 but is provided at its upper end with an inwardlyprojecting annular boss l5 having a shoulder at its lower end againstwhich the upper end of the rubber bushing l6 bears. The bushing isfollowed into place by a conical metal washer l1, similar to that shownin Figs. 1 and 2 at 9, and operating through its frictional engagementwith the bore of the bobbin as the sole means for holding the bushing upagainst the part l5. In addition, it performs the function of pilotingthe tip of the spindle blade into the bore of the bushing in placing thebobbin on the spindle. This same mounting of the bushing can be used ineither of the forms of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

Another resilient bushing I8 is mounted in the base portion of thebobbin and is held in place by an annular metal shield or ferrule 20.This member initially is made of channel section and it embraces thelower portions of both the bobbin and the bushing, its upper edges beingcrimped Thus it completely covers and protects the lower and it, itassists in-guiding the tip of the blade into the bore of the bobbin, andit prevents the rolling up of the lower edge of the bushing [8 whichotherwise would be likely to occur. These parts can readily be made ofsuch dimensions that the ferrule 20 does not interfere with theengagement of the bushing IB with the acorn 4, ample clearance beingprovided between the latter and the shield when the bushing is in fullcontact with the acorn.

A further arrangement for mounting the resilient bushing in the upperend of the bobbin is illustrated in Fig. 4. Here the bobbin 2| isprovided with an annularinternal boss 22, integral therewith, and thebushing 23 is seated upon the shoulder at the upper end of this boss. Itis held in place by a metal washer 24 forced into the upper end of thebore of the bobbin where it may substantially close said bore.

In all of these constructions the rate of wear of the mutuallycontacting surfaces of the bobbin and-spindle are greatly reduced,vibration of the bobbin on the spindle is cushioned and minimized, andthe bobbin is afforded the degree of movement relatively to the spindlenecessary to establishing and maintaining smooth running conditions.Thus the invention makes it entirely practical to gain the advantages ofthe higher other forms without departing from the spirit or scopethereof. Also, that theuse of such a construction as that shown in Fig.3 for improving the association between the base portion of the bobbinwith the acorn of the spindle'may, if desired, be used independently ofany such cushioning means at the,tip of the bobbin as those abovedescribed.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim as newis:

l. A bobbin for use in spinning, twisting and similar machines, saidbobbin comprising a tubular body adapted to be slipped on and off aspindle in such a machine, a resilient bushing in the upper part of saidbody adapted to yieldingly center the upper portion of the bobbin on thespindle blade, means for holding said bushing in a fixed position insaid body including a shoulder in the bobbin against which one end ofthe bushing bears, and a tapered irusto-conlcal sheet metal washerengaging the opposite endof .i said bushing and serving to guide the tipof the spindle blade into the bore of the bushing when said bobbin isslipped on the spindle.

2. A bobbin of the character described, comprising a tubular bodyadapted to be slipped on and off a spindle and having a resilienttubular bushing in the lower portion thereof adapted to yieldinglyengage a cooperating portion of the spindle to center the base of thebobbin on the spindle, and an annular ferrule crimped around the loweredges of the bobbin and bushing and having a portion extending upwardlyinside said bushing and serving to hold the latterin place, the internaldiameter of the portion of said bushing adapted to engage the spindlebeing less than that of the ferrule.

3. A bobbin for use in spinning, twisting and similar machines, saidbobbin comprising a tubular body adapted to be slipped onand off aspindle in such a machine, a resilient bushing in the upper part of saidbody adapted to closely encircle the spindle blade and to yieldinglycenter the upper portion of the bobbin on the spindle blade, 9. sheetmetal washer of frusto-conical form, the lower and larger end of whichengages the bore of the bobbin, the smaller end being directly upwardly,the lower end of said bushing bearing on said washer, and means in saidbobbin above said bushing and against which the upper end of the latterbears and which cooperates with said washer in holding the bushing inits operative position.

. 4. A bobbinof-ithe character described, comprising a tubular woodenbody adapted to be slipped on and ofi a spindle and having rubberbushings in the upper and lower portions thereof adapted to yieldinglyengage cooperating portions of the spindle to center the bobbin on thespindle, a ferrule securing said lower bushing in place in said bobbinbody and protecting the lower edges of both said body and said bushingwhile leaving the spindle engaging portion of the bushing projectinginwardly beyond said ferrule, a Irustoconical sheet metal washerengaging the bore of said bobbin and supporting the lower end of saidupper rubber bushing, and means engaging the.

upper end 0! the latter bushing to cooperate with said washer in holdingit in place in said bobbin.

JOHN A. KENNEDY.

, CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,256,178. risrcn 2 19in.

JOHN A. KENNEDY.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specificationof the above numbered fatent requiring correction as follows: Page 1,sec- 0nd column, line 19, for the word "of" after-"view" read --to---;page 5, first column, line 18, claim- 1,: strike out "tapered"; and thatthe said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein thatthe same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 6th day of May, A. n. 19in.

Henry'Van Arsdale, (S Acting Cominissioner of Patents.

